Cigar lighter



April 21, 1931.;

F. E. VIVILLIAMS 1,801,473

CIGAR LIGHTER Filed March 11 .1929

25 L I y FF; 5. a2 3 6 INVENTOR Fran/($.W/J'amfl BY I Ma .ATTORNEYPatented Apr. 21, 1931 PATENT OFFICE FRANK E. WILLIAMS, SEATTLE,WASHINGTON cram mcn'rnn Application filed March 11,- 1929. Serial No.345,909.

This invention relates to that class of cigar lighters known as pocketlighters.

The object of my invention is the perfecting of devices of thischaracter to render the same more efficient, and convenient in use.

shape of an inverted Another object is to provide a lighter'of strong,durable and inexpensive construction. More specific objects andadvantages of the invention will appear in the following description. 1

The invention consists, more especially, in the improved ignitingdevices and in the manner and means for actuating the same.

The invention further consists in the novel construction, adaptation,and arrangement of parts, and their combination with known parts as willbe hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, illustrating to an enlarged scale of pocketcigar lighter embodying my improvements,-

Figure 1 is aview of the lighter shown partly in side elevation andpartly in vertical longitudinal sectiontaken substantially through 11 ofFig. 3; Fig. 2 isa view sim-,

ilar to Fig. 1 of the upper portion-of the lighter, the section beingtaken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 3, with the plunger therein broken awayand partly shown in side elevation; Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectionthrough 3-3 of Fig. 1; and Fig. 4, a transverse vertical section through44 of Fig. 1.

In said drawing, the reference numeral 5 designates the shell or casingof the lighter which serves as a reservoir for the fuelalcohol or anequivalentsupplied preferably through the medium of a body of a porousmaterial, indicated by 6, to a wick 7 which extends therefrom upwardlythrough an apertured boss 8 provided in an end of the casing top wall 9.

Provided as a snufier for said wick and fitting about the reduced upperextremity of the boss 8 is a cap 11 which is rigidly secured to an endof an arm 12 of substantially the letter U in transverse sectlon.

' Adjacent the other end ofthe arm, the side web elements 13 thereof areapertured to receive a transverselyarranged tubular shaft 14 which isjournaled upon a pin 15 (Fig. 4) which is supported by ear elements 16extending upwardly from the top wall 9 of the casing. As shown in Fig.4., one end of the pin 15 is screw threaded for engagement with athreaded hole in one of said ear elements, the other end of the pinbeing slotted to receive a screw driver whereby the pin may be rotatedinto engaged or disengaged relationship with the casing.

The tube 14 serves as a bushing for a spur gear 17 which is rigid withthe cap-carrying arm 12 and in continuous mesh with the spur teeth of arack bar 18 arranged for reciprocatory motion with'a plunger 19 movablein a hollow guide member 20 provided upon the casing top wall 9 at theend remote 'from the wick. Said guide member is detachably secured to apost element 21 of the casing top bymeans of a screw 22.

The post 21 is provided. with a hole which serves as a guide for a stem24 extending from the plunger 19. a 25 is a spring interposed betweensaid post and the plunger for yieldably retaining the latter in theprotruded position in which it is illustrated in Figs. 1, 2 and 3. 26represents a pyrophoric member positioned in a tube 27 extending throughthe casing top 9, said pyrophoric member being urged upwardly by meansof a spiral spring 28 into contact withan abradant wheel 29 which ismounted for rotation on the bushing 14. Rigid with the wheel 29 is aratchet wheel 30 engageable by the teeth of a ratchet rack bar 31 whichis carried by the plunger when the same is pushed inwardly from theposition in which it is shown in Fig. 2.,

32 represents a leaf spring acting against said ratchet rack bar tocause the same to be coupled with the wheel 30 to turn the abradantwheel when the plunger is pushed inthrough the associated gear, 17 andratchet wheel 30, respectively, movement to the cap 11 from the wickinto its dotted line osition 11 (Fig. 2) and rotation to the a radantwheel 29, when the plunger is manually pushed in one direction to effectthe lighting of the wick by means of a stream of sparks from thepyrophoric element.

In such action, the spring 25 is compressed by the plunger and uponbeing released, the spring asserts itself to retain the lunger to thenormal position in which it is illustrated accompanie by both rack bars18 and 31.

In such return movement of the rack bars, the bar 18 efiects theswinging of the cap 11 from its dotted line position to its full lineposition as shown in Fig. 2, thereby snufiing the light, the rack bar 31meanwhile traveling below the ratchet wheel 29 without affecting thesame, because of the braking of the wheel by the s ring pressedpyrophoric element 26 and to the y1e ding of the spring 32 to permitundulatory movement of the ratchet rack bar with respect to the ratchetteeth of the wheel 30.

- The peculiar inverted U-shape to the arm 12 enables it to serve as acover for the gears pertaining to the cap and the pyrophoric wheel. Thespring 25 and stem 24 are housed by the plunger and the guide member 20therefor, thus protectin the operating parts of the device and ena lingit to be withdrawn from a persons pocket with no liability of catchingin his clothing.

By withdrawing the pin 15 the cap 11 and its siipporting arm 12 maybereadily remove from the device together with the abradant wheel forrotatably adjusting or replacing the same when worn.

The removal of the screw 22 gives access to the plunger from which, inturn, the pin 33 may be removed to release the two rack bars. Thusassembling the various parts above referred to makes the deviceconvenient for the adjustment and replacement of arts. 7

The wick 7 and the pyrophoric element 26 are adapted to be regulated orreplaced as with other lighters hitherto in use.

The operation and advantages of the invention will, it is thought, beunderstood from the foregoing description.

What I claim, is-

1. A cigar lighter comprising in combination, a casing providing a fuelreservoir, a wick extending from the reservoir through the top of thecasing, a spring-pressed pyrophoric member, an abradant wheel mountedadjacent to said spring pressed pyrophoric member in engaging relationwith said abradant wheel, a ratchet wheel rigid with said abradantwheel, a wick cap having an arm of substantially the shape of aninverted U in transverse'section, said arm being pivotally connectedwith said casing, a gear rigid with said arm, a manually actuatedplunger rotary direction only,

mounted for reciprocato movement transversely of the casing, rac forsaid ratchet and gear wheels respectively carried by said plun er, oneof said racks serving to turn the abra ant wheel in one rotary directiononly, the other rack serving to impart motion to said gear in bothrotary directions to cause the wick cap to swing out of and intosnufiing relation with the wick, and retractible means acting inopposition to said manual movement to return said plunger intoinoperative position.

2. A cigar lighter comprising in combination, a casing providing a fuelreservoir, a wick communicating with said reservoir and projectingthrough the top of the casing, vertically disposed ears projecting fromsaid top of the casing, a horizontally dis osed pin engaging said ears,an abradant w eel rotatively mounted intermediate said ears on said pinandhaving a ratchet wheel rigid therewith, a spring pressed pyro horicmember in engaging relation with said abradant wheel,

. a gear wheel mounted on said pin for movement independently of caphaving an arm ri gear, a plunger mounte for horizontal movementtransversely of the casing, and a pair of racks for said ratchet andgear wheels respectively carried by said plunger, one of sai racksserving to turn the ratchet in one the other of said racks serving toturn the gear in both rotary directions to cause the wick cap to swingout of and into snufiing relation with the wick, said plunger being'manuall' o erable to actuate said ratchet and ear whee sin oppositionto a spring arran e to return said gear wheel and cap into wick snufiingrelation.

3. A cigar lighter comprisin in combination, a casing providing a fuereservoir, a wick communicating with said reservoir and projectingthrough the top of the casing, a cap arranged for normal snufiinrelation over said wick, a ear wheel rigid y secured to an armof sai capan abradant wheel, a spring pressed pyrophoric member for engagingrelation with said abradant wheel, a ratchet wheel rigid with saidabradant wheel, a mounting for said gear, abradant and ratchet wheels,said mounting comprising spaced apart ears projecting above said casing,and a pin projecting through an annulet of one into screw threaded enagement to an aligned annulet of the ot er, said ratchet and gear wheelshaving means for actuating the same in one and both rotary directions,respectively, said means comprising a reciprocatory plunger arranged formovement in a horizontal plane transversely of the casing.

4. A cigar lighter comprisin in combination, a casing providing a fuereservoir, a wick communicating with said reservoir and pro ectingthrough thetop of the casing, a

said ratchet, a wick 'dly secured to said cap arranged for normalsnuflirg relation over said wick, a gear wheel ri y secured to an arm ofmid cap, an abra ant wheel, a spring-pressed pyrophoric member forengaging relation with said abradant wheel, a

ratchet wheel rigid with said abradant wheel a mounting for said gear,abradant, and ratchet wheels, and means including a reciprocatoryplunger arranged for movement in a horizontal plane transversely of thecasing for actuating said ratchet and gear wheels in one and both rotarydirections, respectively.

5. A cigar lighter comprisin in combination, a casing providing a fuereservoir, a

wok communicating with said reservoir and projecting through the to ofthe casing, a cap arranged for norma snufiing relation over said wick, agear wheel rigidly secured to an arm of said cap, an abradant wheel, aspring pressed pyrophoric member for engaging relation with saidabradant wheel, a ratchet wheel adapted to actuate said abradant wheelin one rotary direction only, a pair of racks for said ratchet and gearwheels, and a plun er connected with said racks, said plunger ingmanually operable to actuate said ratchet and ear wheels in oppositionto a spring arrange to return said 80 gear wheel and cap into wicksnufling relation.

6. A cigar lighter comprisin in combination, a casing providing a fuereservoir, a wick extending from the reservoir through the top of saidcasing, a shaft secured intermediate cas'ing ears projecting above saidtop, a wick cap having an arm, a gear wheel pivotally mounted on saidshaft and rigid with said arm, an abradant wheel mounted upon 40 saidshaft and actuated by a ratchet wheel rigid therewith, a pyrophoriemember adapted to cooperate w1th said abradant wheel, a plunger mountedfor reciprocatory movement in a horizontal plane transversely of thecasing, a air of racks carried by said plunger, one 0 said racks beingheldvin engaged relation with said gear wheel for imparting rotarymovement in both directions thereto, the other of said racks beingpivotally car- 0 ried by said plun r to engage successive teeth of saidratc et wheel in imp movement thereto in one direction of rotation, anda spring acting to retract said plunger from its manually impelledoperative position, said last named rack being 1n-,

operative to said ratchet wheel in the spring im lled retractilemovement.

igned at Seattle, Washington, this 25th fFb 1929. dayo erualiyfi

